The long distance vehicular movement and loading of minerals, including coal, was affected in several areas of Santhal Parganas and Kolhan areas where as districts like Giridih, Hazaribagh and Loherdega did not respond to the agitation.

In Dumka buses did not ply. The loading of coal in other areas of Santhal Pargana, including Chitra colliery in Deoghar and Lalmatia in Godda, was affected due to the blockade.

In Jamshedpur JDP chairman Salkhan Murmu, leading the agitation, squatted on the railway tracks at Lota Pahar station in West Singhbhum district along with the party activists since morning.

Mr Murmu told UNI that they had stopped goods trains, passing through the Chakradharpur division of south eastern railways. They had also blocked the movement of Sambalpur-Howrah Ispat Express for a brief period.

He claimed that the blockade had good impact in West Bengal and Assam.

Meanwhile, the Jharkhand Disom Party supporters staged a road blockade on National Highway 33 in Baharagora near Orissa-Jharkhand border and disrupted traffic for a few hours in the morning.

The JAWC comprising Jharkhand Disom Party, Adivasi Kobra Military of Assam and All India Adivasi Youth Student Union demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for tea-tribes of Assam and tribals residing in other parts had called the economic blockade.

The committee has announced to launch an indefinite economic blockade from January 27 next if their demands were not fulfilled.